System for producing jacquard cards and the like



Feb. 14, 1961 J. O. HETHERiNGTON ETAL Filed Sept. 5, 1958 9 Sheet s-Sheet 1 42 40b 40C Ill q l q Q 3 "121 513; jig 43f 49in j m ;f\ ,-34 /34b I III .44 44?! @248 14 o O 2 46 aflfi'fli'ao 2,

f F I G. 2 32 MJQFE' @656 F l G 4 (51:5 0 30 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1961 J. o HETHERINGTON EI'AL SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING JACQUARD CARDS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 3, 1958 INVENTQRS ATTORNEYS J. O. HETHERINGTON EI'AL SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING JACQUARD CARDS AND THE LIKE Feb. 14, 1961 Filed Sept. 3, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 J a INVENTORS 7 ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1961 J. o. HETHERINGTON EI'AL SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING JACQUARD CARDS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 3, 1958 FlG.8

ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1961 Filed Sept. 3, 958

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J. O. HETHERINGTON ETAL SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING JACQUARD CARDS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG.|2

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ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1961 J. o. HETHERINGTON EI'AL 2,971,592

SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING JACQUARD CARDS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. s, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG.

ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1961 J. o. HETHERINGTON ETAL 2,971,692

SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING JACQUARD CARDS AND THE; LIKE Filed Sept. 3, 958 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 "Willy/n11]; A

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SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING JACQUARD CARDS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 3, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 FIG. I?

M INVEI:JTO {M9 9 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,971,692 SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING JACQUARD CARDS AND THE LIKE James 0. Hetherington, 242 Cedar St., Bristol, Pa., and

James S. Hetherington, 3 Lyndeboro Place, Boston 16,

Mass.

Filed Sept. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 758,718 Claims. (Cl. 23440) The present invention relates to the manufacture of textiles and, more particularly, to the production of Jacquard cards and the like to be used in conjunction with textile machinery. By way of example, the present invention will be described in reference to the manufacture of carpets but it is to be expressly understood that it applies equally well to all Jacquard weaving and the like. As is well known, in automatic looms for weaving textiles such as carpets, a design is produced by the determination of the color of pick (or weft) rows. The selection of the color of any tuft is made by raising a selected one of several warp yarns of different colors available to that tuft in order that the pick yarn be carried under the selected warp yarn and over the remaining warp yarns. In consequence, only the warp yarn of desired color is woven onto the surface of the fabric where it can be viewed and the remaining associated warp yarns of undesired color are woven under the surface of the fabric where they cannot be viewed. The selection of such desired warp yarns is effected automatically by a mechanism under the control of a Jacquard card having certain punched holes that correspond to certain warp yarns. Appropriate holes usually are punched in Jacquard cards with the aid of a squared design sheet on which the squares are in correspondence with the tufts of the ultimate fabric. Since usually one Jacquard card is used for each of the hundreds of pick rows of a design-bearing fabric, it is apparent that the production of Jacquard cards themselves is a major problem in the textile industry. The present invention contemplates an automatic system for producing Jacquard cards and the like.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a novel automatic system for reliably, rapidly and readily converting the information available on a squared design sheet to punched hole information on Jacquard cards. Essentially this system comprises: a holder assembly for positioning a squared design sheet before a human operator, fully automatic reader or the like; a selector assembly contiguous with the holder including a vertical stepping component for discriminating among different rows of squares and a horizontal stepping component for discriminating among different squares of a row; an annunciating circuit for translating information from the selector assembly to signals corresponding to information on the design sheet; a punch assembly including a plurality of punch elements which may be designated individually by signals from the selector assembly and of which a plurality of designated elements may be actuated simultaneously by a punch set; and a control circuit for operating the horizontal stepping component, the vertical stepping component and the punch set in appropriate sequence.

Other objects of the present invention will inpart be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing-the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

- For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the fol- 7 2,971,692 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 lowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary holder assembly of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary schematic illustration of the operation of an automatic loom controlled by Jacquard cards;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View of a Jacquard card of the type used in the manufacture of Wilton carpeting;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a Jacquard card of the type used in the manufacture of Wilton-float calpeting;

Fig. 5 is a general schematic diagram, partly in block, of the electrical circuitry of an exemplary system embodying the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the holder assembly of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the holder assembly of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the holder assembly of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view of components of the holder assembly of Fig 1;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of a component of an exemplary punch assembly of the present invention;

Fig. 11 and 12 are opposed side elevations of the component of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the component of Fig. 10;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the component of Fig. 10, taken along the line 14-14;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged side elevation of a part of the component of Fig. 10;

Fig. 16 is a front plan view of the part of Fig. 15; and

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of another component of the exemplary punch assembly partially illustrated in Fig. 10.

Generally, the illustrated system is designed to produce Jacquard cards of the type shown at 30 and 32 in Figs. 3 and 4 for use in an automatic loom that operates in the manner shown in Fig. 2. This loom produces a design by determining warp tufts that appear in successive pick rows. By way of illustration, the successive pick rows are designated 34, 36, 38, etc. and the successive warp tufts of these rows, respectively, are designated 34a, b, 0, etc., 36a, b, 0, etc. and 38a, b, c, etc. The loom oomprises a plurality of frames 40a, b, c, d, e, and f, each including a plurality of bobbins 42 of yarn of selected color. Figs. 2 shows one group of strands 43a, b, c, d, e, and f, extending from bobbins in a plurality of frames through a group 44 of selectively movable heddles 44a, b, c, d, e, and which select the color of any tuft by raising a selected one of the group of strands in order that a pick yarn 46 may be carried under the selected strand and over the remaining strands. For clarity, the drawing shows only the group of strands designated 43a, b, c, d, e, and 7 although similar groups of strands extend through similar groups of heddles at the other tuft positions.

Card 30, which is of the specific type used in the manufacture of Wilton carpeting, has at each of its opposite ends (only one end shown) a pair of corner holes 47 and 48 of relatively small diameter and a medial hole 50 of relatively large diameter. Corner holes 46 and 48 permit successive cards to be laced together with their longitudinal edges parallel. Medial hole 50 serves to permit the card to be positioned on the loom as well as in the punch assembly to be described in detail below. Information appears on card 30 in the form of punched holes 52 aggregated into groups shown within dot-dash lines 54, 5 6, 58, etc. Each of these groups includes five holes punched in five out of six possible positions. This five out of six selection constitutes a code by which one or more heddles are selected for each tuft'to be-formedf The arrangement is such that one card contains all of the Another possible alternative arrangement, of the type usually used in the production of Wilton-float carpeting, is shown'in Fig. 4, as having groups of interspersed positions', one 'so-called top group being shown connected by dot-dash line 60 and another so-called "bottom group by dot-dash line 62.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the illustrated system comprises: a holder assembly 64 (Fig. l) for positioning a squared design sheet 65 before a human operator; a selector assembly 66 including a vertical stepping component for advancing the design sheet row-by-row and a horizontal stepping component for indicating successive groups of squares in any row; an annunciating circuit 68 for translating information from the selector assembly to signals onthe design sheet; apunch assembly 70 (Fig. including a plurality of punch elements which may be designated individually by signals from the selector assembly and of which a plurality of designated elements may be actuated simultaneously by a punch set; and a control circuit 80 for operating the horizontal stepping component, the vertical stepping component, the punch set, and other auxiliary components in appropriate sequence.

The holder and selector assemblies As shown in Figs. 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9, holder assembly 64 includes: a rotatable drum 72 for positioning a squared design sheet 65 before a human operator; and a guide 74 for retaining the guide sheet thereon. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, selector assembly 66 includes: a keyset 78 for manually converting information from design sheet 65 to signals representing the information: a vertical stepping component 80 for intermittently rotating drum 72 in incremental arcs in order to advance design sheet 65 vertically row by row; and a horizontal stepping component 82 having sequentially operable illuminating elements for indicating successive groups of squares in any pick row of design sheet 65.

Components of the holder assembly and the selector assembly that are designed to operate in conjunction with design sheet 65 are mounted in and enclosed by a housing 84. Drum 72 includes a hollow plastic cylinder 85 the extremities of which are received by annular grooves in a pair of opposed end plates "86 and 88 which are secured toeach other by four equally spaced tie rods 89. Extending outwardly from end plates 86 and 88 are opposed trunnions 90 and 92 respectively. The extreme periphery of trunnion 90 is provided with an annular track 94 that serves to receive the outer races of a pair of bearings 96. The inner races of bearings 96 are secured to housing 84 by bolts 98. Trunnion 92 rests upon a pair of idlerbearings not shown. Drum 72 is driven, when trunnions 90 and 92 are resting upon the bearings with which they are associated, through a drive gear 100 in the form of an annulus about trunnion 90. The inner periphery of gear 100 is gripped between a pair of friction discs 102 and 104 that are carried upon end plate 86 by a series of radially disposed stub shafts 106. The inner ends of stub shafts 186 are secured to end plate 86 and the outer ends of tsub shafts 106 are provided with helical springs 108 that press friction discs 102 and 194 against end plate 86 with gear 109 therebetween. The compression of springs 108 is adjusted to permit drum 72 to be rotated manually independently of drive gear 100 for adjustment purposes although drive gear 100 is in mesh with the stepping mechanism 80 now to be described.

Stepping mechanism 80 (Fig. 7 and 8) includes a bell crank 11!), the apex of which is carried by an overrunning clutch .112. The inner r tchet member of overrunning clutch 112 is secured to a shaft that is journaled on a support block 116. The outer ratchet member of overrunning clutch 112 is secured to an apex of bell crank 110. The inner extremity of shaft 114 carries a pinion which meshes with an idler gear 118." Idler gear 118 in turn meshes with gear when drum 72 is in operating position with trunnions 90 and 92 upon their bearings. Bell crank 110, as shown in Fig. 8, normally is pivoted into an extreme counter-clockwise position by a tension spring 120, one end of which is connected to housing 84 and the other end of which is connected to the vertical arm of bell crank 110. Bell crank is actuated by the reciprocable core 122 of a solenoid 124 that is actuated by control circuit 80 in a manner to be described more fully below. The clockwise motion of hell crank 110 is limited by a cam 126. The rotational position of cam 126 is controlled by a manually adjustable knob 128 and is indicated by a pointer 130, which rotates with knob 128 and coacts with indicia 132 on the outer surface of housing 84. As shown in Fig. 8, motion of the horizontal arm of bell crank 110 is adjustably limited by the profile of cam 126. The purpose of rendering stepping component 80 adjustable is to permit design sheets having squares of different sizes to be accommodated by drum 72. Design sheet 65 is secured to drum 72 in the following way. Extending longitudinally along drum 72 is a slot 134 in plastic cylinder 85. In contact with the inner surface of plastic cylinder 85 is a base leaf 136 of a spring having a reverse leaf 138. The free extremity of base leaf 136 is secured to plastic cylinder 85. Reverse leaf 138 bears against a manually adjustable cam 140, which when in open position, relieves the spring so that design sheet 65 may be inserted through slot 134 into position between the spring and plastic cylinder 85. Cam 140, when in closed position, compresses the spring so that the design sheet becomes locked between the spring and the inner surface of plastic cylinder 85. 7

Design sheet 65 is held in reading position against the surface of drum 72 by guide 74 in the form of a translucent plastic strip above. The ends of guide '74 are secured to arms 142, 142, which are pivoted to housing 84 as at 144. Also mounted at its opposite extremities for pivotable movement at 144 is horizontal stepping component 82. Horizontal stepping component 82 includes a housing panel 146 which carries therealong and covers a sequence of lights 148 and an indicating element 150 having sequential segments 151. A selected light 148 is designed to illuminate a selected segment 151 when the remaining lights are off. Element 150 is connected to panel 146 by pins 152 extending therefrom and gripping slots 154 in panel 146. Element 150 is interchangeable with other similar elements having segments of different lengths. In order that lights 148 be properly associated with appropriate segments of different elements 150, each of elements 150 is associated with an adaptor plug 156 (Fig. 9) that may be mated With a control plug 158 for lights 148. In other words, plugs 156 and 158 serve to properly conform the operation of lights 148 to a chosen one of different elements 150 associated with difierent design sheets having squares of difierent sizes and/ or organizations. In operation, the squares of the illustrated design sheet '65 are visible be tween guide 74 and element 150 and a particular group of eight squares in a pick row of the designsheet is indicated by an illuminated segment 151 of element 150. As information contained in the squares of this particular group is injected into the system by an operator, the initially illuminated segment 151 of element 150 is darkened and the next segment 151 of element 150 is illumihated. In this way the eye of the operator is directed toward a single group of eight squares under consideration.

The punch assembly As indicated'above, punch assembly 70 includes a plurality of punch elements which may be designed individually by signals from the selector assembly and of which a plurality of designated elements may be actuated simultaneously by a punch set. In the illustrated embodiment the punch elements and punch set are components of a conventional Jacquard card repeater of the type shown in Fig. 17. The repeater generally designated by 200 includes -a plurality of pins 202 distributed in vertical rows of twelve. These pins are operatively connected to a plurality of similarlydisposed punches 204 through a plurality of linkages 206. Punches 204 are operatively associated with a punch set 208 that is reciprocated by a suitably driven rotating cam 209. Jacquard cards 211, suitably laced together, sequentially are positioned between punches 204 and punch set 208. When all pins 202 have been set up, or designated, punch set 208 may be actuated in order to produce the coded holes in a Jacquard card 211. Thereafter, a reset bar 210 may be actuated in order to render the system available for receipt of new information.

The components of the punch assembly that are responsive to information transmitted from the holder and selector assemblies are shown generally at 212 in Fig. 17 and specifically in Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. These components are mounted upon a frame 230 including brackets 232 and 234 at its opposite extremities and tie rods 236 that secure the brackets together. One tie rod 236, which is splined slidably supports a pin designating unit 242. Pin designating unit 242 includes a pair of mount 244 and 246, which are connected by a tie 248. Each of mounts 244 and 246 carries twelve solenoids 250. As is best shown in Figs. 15 and 16,

each of solenoids 250 includes a core 252, the forward end of which is connected by a splined (spline not shown) element 254 to a double reverse rod 256. It will be observed in Fig. 16 that the forward extremities 251 of the double reverse rods of each group of twelve solenoids lie in a vertical column. This column is intended to register with the pins of repeater 200 lying in a vertical column. In other words, solenoids 250 are designed to actuate the pins of successive columns of the repeater in succession. As will be described in detail below, six of the solenoids of one of mounts 244 and 246 are operated at a given time before switching to another group of six occurs. This arrangement is economical from the point of view of overall space occupied.

In operation initially, unit 242 is drawn to its extreme position at the right end of frame 230 (as shown in Fig. by a cable 257, which has a weight attached to its free end. At this point, the free forward extremities of rods 256 are aligned with the pins of the first row 258 of repeater 200. After six solenoids 250 on mount 246, in response to signals received from the holder and selector assemblies, have actuated appropriate pins in'row 258, the other six solenoids 250 on mount 246 operate similarly. Thereafter a drive solenoid 260 is actuated. The reciprocable core 262 of drive solenoid 260 is pivotably connected to one end of a link 264 the other end of which is pivoted to frame 230. Link 264 is in slidable and pivotable contact with an extremity of a reciprocable rod 266. One extremity of rod 266 is slidably and rotably received by an opening in bracket 234. The other extremity of rod 266 is slidably and rotatably received by an opening in bracket 232. Rod 266 is urged into an extreme right position, by a helical compression spring 267. This extreme right position is determined by a collar 268.

Motion from link 264 is transmitted to unit 242 through a pawl 272, which is carried by a tie 274 connecting mounts 244 and 246. Pawl 272 is pivoted to tie 274 at 276 being urged toward rod 266 by a leaf spring 278. Pawl 272 meshes with a straight ratchet 280 which can be disengaged from pawl 272 by rotation of rod 266. Parallel to rod 266 is an axially stationary rod 282 which meshes with a second pawl (not shown) for the purpose of preventing undesired movement of unit 242 when rod 266 is returned to its initial position after each stepping movement. After the solenoids 250 of mount 246 have designated appropriate pins in half of the columns, a release solenoid 284 is actuated. Release solenoid 284 includes a core 286 that is provided with a circular rack 288 in mesh with a pinion 290 at the extremity of rod 266. In consequence, rod 266 is rotated and its rotational motion is transmitted through a pair of meshing pinions 292 and 294 to rod. 282. Accordingly, the racks on rods 266 and 282 are disengaged from their respective pawls and unit 242 is drawn by cable 258 back to its extreme right position. Thereafter the solenoids 250 on mount 244 are actuated in the manner described above in connection with the solenoids 250 on mount 246. The result is that all of the pins necessary to set up the punch elements of the repeater have been designated and punch set 208 may be actuated in order to complete the Jacquard card.

The annunciating and control circuits As shown in Fig. 5, keyset 66 includes a plurality of switches 300 that are operated manually for the purpose of sequentially actuating a selected combination of solenoids (shown mechanically in Figs. 10 through 16 and electrically in Fig. 5). A particular combination of solenoids is selected by a plurality of switches 302 in the form of a matrix that constitutes annunciating circuit 68. Switches 302 are set manually and latched automatically, by conventional means not shown, for the purpose of retaining the particular code desired. In operation, current flows from a source B+ through a selected switch 300, through an associated bus bar 304, and through selected switches 302 and their associated diodes 306 to designated bus bars 308. Diodes 306 prevent reverse current flow and possible energization of undesired solenoids. The terminals of bus bars 308 are shown in Fig. 5 aligned with a set of six solenoids 250 selected in the manner described above. However, signals from bus bars 308, before being applied to solenoids 250, are processed by transmission through What may be termed a Wilton-float switch 310 and a display memory 312 (shown electrically in Fig. 5 and mechanically in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7). .Wilton-fioat switch 310, as will be apparent to persons skilled in art, enables the operator to connect bus bars 308 either to six consecutive solenoids associated as at 70 in Fig. 5 for the production of holes of the type shown in Fig. 3 or six top solenoids or six bottom solenoids for the production of holes of the type shown in Fig. 4. Display memory 312 serves to record temporarily a limited sequence of eight signals transmitted from matrix 68 so that any one signal of the eight may be cancelled before being recorded permanently by solenoids 250. Display is accomplished by a digital read-out 314 and cancellation by leaf spring switches 316.

Signals from bus bars 308, processed as indicated above, are transmitted to counters 318 and 320. Counter 318 actuates solenoid 260 when signals from bus bars 308 have been applied to the two groups of six solenoids 250 required to actuate a single row of pins 258. Counter 320 causes lights 148 and consequently segments 151 of element 150 to be illuminated in step-by-step fashion at intervals determined when signals from bus bars 308 have been applied to the eight groups of six solenoids 250 required to actuate four rows of pins 258. When it is desired to omit selected sets of six holes from the Jacquard card, i.e to omit selected warp threads for the purpose of producing less expensive fabrics, a socalled weed-out skip circuit 322 may be energized by a manual weed-out control 324 for the purpose of automatically actuating solenoid 260 in order to step solenoids 250'past selected positions without operation.

Operation In operation a de sign sheet 65 is inserted through opening 134 (Fig. 8) and cam 140 is rotated so that the design sheet is locked between spring 136 and plastic tube 85 of drum 72. Thereafter guide 74 and panel 146 are pivoted rearwardly until a pick row of design sheet 65 appears therebetween. With the system fully energized, the extreme left segment 151 of panel 150 is illuminated. The operator now sequentially presses the keys 78 (-Fig. 1) of keyset 66 (Fig. that correspond to the eight squares of design sheet 65 indicated by that extreme left segment 151. Each time two keys 78 are pressed, counter 318 (Fig. 5) actuates solenoid '26!) in order to step pin designating unit 242 (Fig. 10)

from one row of pins 258 in repeater 200 to the next. Each time eight keys 78 are pressed, counter 320 actuates plugs 156 and 158'in order to deenergize one light 148 and to energize the next light 148. At appropriate predetermined intervals a reset control 326 switches bus bars 308 from one group of six solenoids 250 to the next and energizes solenoid 284 for the purpose of releasing spin designating unit 242 (Fig. 10) for movement to its extreme right position under the direction of cable 257 and the weight attached to it In consequence of this sequence all appropriate pins 202 (Fig. 10) of repeater 200 (Fig. 17) are designated and Jacquard card 211 (Fig. 17) is punched by actuation of punch set 208 (Fig. 17 under the manual control 328 of an operator.

It is of course to be understood that the disclosed system 'may be used in conjunction with various auxiliary components that increase its etfectiveness and applicability. For example, a recorder may be utilized to punch all information processed by the system as perforations on a tape. Also, a randomizer may be substituted for the keyboard to inject the information necessary for a random textile pattern.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing Jacquard cards or the like, said apparatus comprising: holder means for positioning a squared design sheet for reading; selector means contiguous with said holder means including vertical designating means for discriminating among difierent rows of squares of said design sheet and horizontal designating means for discriminating among diiferent squares of ones of said rows; vertical stepping means for moving said vertical designating means with respect to said holder means; to sequential vertical positions; horizontal stepping means for moving said horizontal designating means with respect to said holder means to sequential horizontal positions; an annunciating circuit for translating representations of indicia at said sequential positions to signals corresponding thereto; and a punch assembly including a plurality of punch elements which may be designated individually by said signals and a punch set for actuating punch elements so designated simultaneously.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said holder assembly comprises a rotatable drum and said vertical stepping component is operatively connected to rotate said drum through incremental arcs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said annunciating circuit constitutes a matrix including a plurality of input key switches and a plurality of routing holding switches, said holding switches determining the output of said matrix when one of said input switches is actuated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said holder assembly comprises a rotatable drum and said vertical stepping component is operatively connected to rotate said drum through incremental arcs, and adjustable means for predetermining the lengths of said incremental arcs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said punch assembly includes a plurality of control elements in association with a plurality of punch elements, a punch set for actuating selected ones of said punch elements when'designated by their associated control elements, and means for actuating said associated control elements, said means for actuating said associated control elements including a mount movable in contiguity with said control elements, and a plurality of solenoids having cores registrable with said control elements.

6. The apparatus of claim-5 wherein said control circuit includes weed-out switch means for causing said mount to move past certain of said control elements without actuation of said solenoids.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said punch assembly includes a plurality of control elements in association with said plurality of punch elements, a punch set for actuating selected ones of said punch elements when designated .by their associated control elements, means for actuating said associated control elements, said means for actuating said associated control elements including a mount movable in contiguity with said control elements, and a plurality of solenoids having cores registrable with said control'elements.

8. Apparatus comprising base means, a drum afiixed to shaft means rotatable on said base means about a horizontal axis, said drum presenting a surface for carrying a design sheet having rows of squares parallel to said axis and colurnns of squares normal to said axis, elongated straight edge means disposed on said base means along the periphery of said drum in parallelism to said axis in order to indicate a selected one of said rows, a series of illuminating elements disposed on said base means along said straight edge means in order to indicate the series of columns, certain of said illuminating elements being adjacent to certain of said columns in order to indicate said certain of said columns when. iluminated, overrunning clutch means having clutch inner means and clutch outer means rotatable with respect. to each other in onedirection and locked with respect to each other in the other direction, said clutch inner means being aflixed to said shaft means, a lever afiixed to said clutch outer means, vertical stepping means responsive to first signals for reciprocating said lever in order to rotate said drum through incremental arcs, horizontal stepping means responsive to second signals for energizing said illuminating elements in sequence, a plurality of punch elements arrayed in rows and columns on said base means, a punch set on said base means, each of said punch elements being movable between an inoperative position and an operative position, said punch set when actuated coacting with punch elements in operative positions to perforate a card positioned between :said punch elements and said punch set, a mount constrained in parallelism to said columns of said punch elements for movement along said rows of said punch elements, a column of core means registrable with a selected column of punch elements, a plurality of solenoids, one each of said plurality of solenoids encompassing at least a portion of one each of said core means, punch set selecting means responsive to third signals energizing selected solenoids in order to move selected punch elements into operative positions, and control means for generating said first, second and third signals in conformity with representations in said squares.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first, second and third signals are simultaneous electrical pulses transmitted by manually operable keys.

l0. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the paths of said electrical pulses from said keys to said solenoids are determined by a matrix of switches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

